


The Ugly Shirt

by GachMoBrea



Series: The Unexpected Series [18]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Follows After the LAST Part, Gen, Goes with the Series, Lisa is NOT happy, Mick Returns, More 'Bonding', OOC, Persuation, Toddler Info, Ugly Shirts, WENTWORTH!, baby talk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-05
Updated: 2016-05-05
Packaged: 2018-06-06 15:34:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6759721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GachMoBrea/pseuds/GachMoBrea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Uncle Mick gives Worthy an ugly button-down shirt that he loves so much he won't wear anything else...<br/>Can Team Flash come together to form a plan to get rid of the thing??? </p><p>Follows after the events of the last Part in the Series... (But it doesn't effect the story too much.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Ugly Shirt

**Author's Note:**

> TADA! Here you go "halszka"! More Wentworth!  
> I hope you like it. ^_^  
> [And *wink*wink* to "Dorea" for the idea.]

Barry's shoulder is completely healed by morning, as if it had never been injured at all.

Len walks through the front door of his house exhausted. He knows Lisa is going to bite off his head the minutes she sees him and that makes him drag his feet even more.  
"Da!" Wentworth charges at him, arms out wide for a hug.  
Len kneels and catches the boy up in his arms, squeezing him tightly for a moment before releasing him. It's when he's standing, holding his son in his arms and really looking at him that he notices something.  
Wentworth is wearing an ugly fire-themed button down shirt.  
"What are you wearing?" Len asks his son, grimacing at the atrocity.  
"Len!" Mick's voice booms into the room, and Len raises an eyebrow to his old partner.  
"Mick?" Len blinks, "What are you doing here?"  
"Well, after I blew off some steam, I decided to come back and talk to you," Mick shoves his hands into his pockets, "You were out fighting crime with The Flash, so Lisa invited me to stay and wait up for you."  
"Da, Unc Mik, me noo sha," Wentworth pats at his chest to indicate his new clothing.  
Len nodded to the boy in his arms, then turned a wary eye to his partner, "You bring this monstrosity that my boy's wearing?"  
Mick barks out a laugh, "What are you talking about? The little Spit-Fire likes it!"  
"And it has been impossible to convince him to wear anything else," Lisa huffs as she walks down the steps, "I have tried everything! Bribery, compliments, mild manipulation-Nothing works!"  
Lisa reaches the bottom of the steps and crosses her arms, glaring at the shirt like it's her arch-nemesis. It not too far fetched a thought, really.  
"If Spit-Fire likes it, then let him wear it," Mick defends the gift, mirroring Lisa's stance, "I bought it special for him."  
"Spekal fo me!" Wentworth nods, patting his chest again. He turns happy eyes to his father, "Hi, Da!"  
"Hey, buddy," Len smirks, "You sleep okay last night?"  
Wentworth pouts, "No."  
"He fell asleep watching for you at the window," Lisa says softly, eyes burning with hidden emotions as she looks at her brother, "What happened? You didn't call me."  
"Cisco was on the phone for hours with you," Len defends himself, moving to the couch so he can sit down. Wentworth runs from his lap to get something.  
"As much as I love my boyfriend, I love my brother too, dummy," Lisa smacks Len in the shoulder as she moves to take the chair opposite the couch, "You should have at least texted me that you were okay."  
"There was a lot going on at the time," Len sighs, relaxing into the cushions as he closes his eyes. He hadn't slept for more than an hour or so back at STAR Labs. Maybe he can catch two or three to get him through the day.

"Red almost die on you?" Mick states more than asks.  
Len opens his eyes to look at the man now standing in front of him. Mick's face is blank, guarded for reasons only the man himself knew.  
"Why did you really come here, Mick?" Len ignores the question. He has a feeling the other man knows the answer anyway, "What is eating away at you that you have to get off your chest?"  
Mick grunts, taking a seat on the coffee table, "Been thinking."  
"Dangerous news," Len smirks, "About what?"  
"About us," Mick sighs, "About our past, about what you've got going on with that Red-clad hero of yours."  
Wentworth returns with a precarious pile of books. Lisa stands to help him bring them to the couch so they don't fall.  
"Been thinking about Spit-Fire too," Mick adds as the little boy thanks his Aunt and begins to pick through his options. Lisa returns to her seat.  
Len puts an arm around his son's back, bending it at the elbow to play with the top most curl of his hair.  
"What did you come to realize in all that deep thought, Mick?" Len asks, turning his attention to the grown man fighting internally with something.  
"We both had crappy parents," Mick says, eyes focused on Wentworth like a life line, "I thought, that kid of Snart's-That boy who-"  
Mick stops himself, shaking his head, "I don't want Spit-Fire to have a bad upbringing. I want him to have the best childhood a kid can have."  
"You worried I won't give that to him?" Len challenges airily, not really accusing but defensive. Mick chuckles.  
"I know you'd freeze the world ten times over for your kid, Len," Mick grins at the thought, "I just want you to know, that I'd be right there with you, burning whatever's left over."  
"You'd just melt it," Len corrects, but he smiles at his old partner's vow, "Thanks, Mick."  
"Tank Oo, Unc Mik!" Wentworth adds with a nod of his head as he finally chooses the 'perfect book.' The little boy turns it so it's facing the right direction and clears his throat, "Dis a be da me hava goo day."  
Wentworth continues to make up words for the pictures in the book as he 'reads' to the three adults in the room. Len runs his fingers through his son's hair as Lisa smiles fondly at them and Mick listens with interest.

\---------- ------ ----------

"Gappa Do!" Wentworth greets when the detective opens the door.  
"Hey there, Worthy!" Joe smiles, opening his arms wide so the little boy will give him a hug, "How you been?"  
"Unc Mik me noo sha!" Wentworth pulls back from the hug to pat at his shirt and show it off to his grandpa.  
"It's," Joe forces a smile, "It's something all right."  
"Please," Lisa rolls her eyes, "It's the ugliest thing in the world."  
"Don't be mean, Lis," Len drawls from his place next to her on the doorstep, "Uncle Mick put a lot of thought in to the hideous piece of clothing."  
"What will we do if he never lets me get him into cute looking outfits?" Lisa whines, finally stepping into the house, "I refuse to take pictures of my beloved nephew in that-in that THING."  
"In dis ting!" Wentworth giggles, running around Joe.  
"He's a very perceptive boy," Joe says, keeping still so he doesn't cause the little one to fall, "Maybe he knows it bothers you and he's doing it on purpose?"  
"What?" Lisa snaps, "My little angel would never do that to his loving Auntie!"  
"Take it down a notch, sis," Len sighs, closing the door behind himself, "No need to cause the neighbors to come running over."

Barry comes barreling down the steps, "What's going on? I heard yelling."  
"Day!" Wentworth stops mid-turn around his grandpa and runs over to his other father, "Unc Mik, me noo sha!"  
"Great," Barry smiles, but looks up bewildered to Len and mouths, 'What is that?'  
Len chuckles while Lisa rolls her eyes again.  
"Mick gave Worthy that horrid thing and he won't take it off!" Lisa pouts, "He wouldn't even let me wash it when he spilled milk all over it this morning!"  
"My sha!" Wentworth clutches at the fabric protectively.  
"No one's going to take your shirt away, Wentworth," Barry assures his son, ruffling the boy's hair. The speedster looks up to Len and Lisa, "Not that I'm complaining, but why are you guys even here?"  
"Because of THAT!" Lisa points an accusing finger to Worthy's shirt.  
Barry turns confused eyes to Len.  
"Wentworth has worn that shirt, non-stop, for the last three days," Len explains, "Lisa was hoping you guys might have an idea on how to get it off him."  
"No," Wentworth shakes his head as if Len was talking to him and not Barry.  
"Children become emotionally attached to cuddly toys, blankets and even smelly old scraps of material because they intuitively believe they possess a unique essence or life force," Barry muses aloud, "In a study, it was found that children preferred their cherished comfort blankets or favourite raggedy bear over duplicates apparently identical in every way."  
"MY 'life force' is going to die if he stays in that thing for much longer," Lisa complains. Len sighs at his sister's theatrics.  
"Most children get attached to a specific object before they reach their first birthday, but this behavior usually peaks in the second year. That's because transitional objects (T.O.s) provide a sense of security when toddlers are really beginning to explore the world and become more independent. Plus, T.O.s provide comfort at a time when childhood fears start in earnest."  
"Worthy isn't afraid, Barry," Lisa starts to pace now, "I'm the one who's terrified about his sense of fashion and dignity!"  
"We shouldn't worry about him earning his diploma with the shirt in tow," Barry ignores the interruption, "Sometime between ages two and five, most kids are ready to bid bye-bye to whatever they're obsessing over."  
"Five?" Lisa repeats in disbelief.  
"It's not the greatest thing in the world, but it's certainly not the worst thing he could get stuck with," Barry shrugs, finishing the baby info with a positive spin on things.  
It doesn't work.

"Are you kidding me, Barry Daddy?" Lisa's voice rises with her eyebrows, "That half-baked attempt at fashion deserves to have real flames bringing it to it's merciful end!"  
Wentworth pouts and hides behind Barry as if his Aunt's words could actually destroy his beloved shirt.  
"Lis," Len groans, "Please. Stop. Shouting."  
Lisa collapses into a convenient chair. She mumbles, "I'm sorry."  
"Wentworth," Joe kneels in front of the little boy as he remains behind Barry, "Do you really like your shirt?"  
"Des," the little boy nods.  
"Okay," Joe smiles, "But would you be willing to wear something else for your Aunt Lisa?"  
"No," Worthy shakes his head furiously.  
"Just for today?" Joe asks, leaning his head forward to try and make eye contact, "You can wear it again when you go to sleep."  
"No!" Worthy keeps shaking his head until he gets dizzy and falls on his butt.  
"Hey, now, it's okay," Joe assures his grandson, "If you want to keep it on, then keep it on."  
Lisa groans from her chair like she suffering from a fatal injury.

 

They drop the shirt subject for the moment.  
Joe and Barry have to go to work, but Lisa refuses to let the speedster leave until he promises to come over later that night and try to get the 'thing' (which Lisa has named the shirt and refuses to call it anything else) from Wentworth.  
Barry does and, true-to-his-word, he stands at the Snart's doorstep that night and knocks.  
"Wonderful!" Lisa beams at him when she opens the door, "Len can bath our beautiful boy after you get that thing from him."  
"It's just a shirt, Lisa," Barry reminds her, but she doesn't listen. She shoves the speedster up the stairs to where Len is waiting with their son.  
"You have to take a bath, Wentworth," Len is saying firmly, "I'll toss you in there, clothes and all."  
Barry turns into the room to see their son pouting at Len with his arms crossed over his little chest.  
"Wentworth," Barry draws the little boy's attention to himself as he gets on his knees. "Are you giving your Dad a hard time?"  
Wentworth's pout gets bigger as he drops his arms to his side, "No."  
"I know you like baths, Worthy," Barry smiles, remembering the time his son coated the entire bathroom with a layer of bubbles, "Why don't you want to take one now?"  
"Unc Mik, ga me noo sha," the little boy mumbles, making it harder to understand his babbled speech.  
"You think we'll get rid of you're new shirt?" Barry guesses. Worthy nods.  
"Not gonna happen," Len assures his son, "I won't let Aunt Lisa take your shirt away."  
"Me hab it affa?" Wentworth asks with big blue eyes as he twists his fingers together.  
"Yes," Len smiles, "You can have your shirt after your bath. After I wash it."  
"Otay!" Worthy smiles, taking the shirt off and handing it to Len, "Tank Oo, Da!"  
"You're welcome," Len helps his son out of the rest of his clothes and into the bubbly tub.  
While Wentworth starts playing with the floating toys inside, Len stands and turns to Barry, "Mind watching him while I tell Lis the bad news?"  
"Yeah, you've got the harder job," Barry agrees readily, imagining the woman's face when Len tells her they have to keep the shirt.  
"Tell me about it," Len drawls, leaving the room and down the stairs.

Lisa shouts a long stream of unintelligent words and Barry closes the bathroom door.

\---------- ------ ----------

It's three more days of ugly shirt torture for the Snart household before Lisa brings in the big guns: Caitlin and Cisco.  
"You two are geniuses!" Lisa tells them, "Between the two of you, it should be easy to convince the world's cutest child to change his mind."  
"Maybe it's just a phase?" Caitlin offers, earning her a glare from Lisa.  
"Babe, I got this," Cisco tugs at his collar before strutting over to the little boy standing in the middle of the Snart living room.  
"Sup, Worthy?" He says, giving him a short wave.  
"Tup, Isco," Worthy waves back in the same way.  
"You wanna see something super awesome?" Cisco asks, tilting his head in a taunt.  
"Des, peas!" Wentworth smiles.  
"Ta-Da!" Cisco pulls out a shirt from out of his pocket. It's blue, with Pi written in bold letters down the front. It's also identical to the one the genius is wearing.  
"Tank Oo, Isco!" the little boy takes the shirt into his arms and hugs it.  
"Do you want to try it on so we can be twins?" Cisco asks, hands outstretched to start the process.

"No."

Lisa almost collapses while Len chuckles at Cisco's shell-shocked expression. Caitlin manages to hide her smile but Barry is grinning from ear-to-ear.  
"Looks like even a genius can't change Wentworth's mind once it's made up," Len taunts, "Too bad."  
"Wait, maybe, are you sure?" Cisco pleads with the little boy, but Worthy shakes his head and repeats his answer.  
"Let me try," Caitlin puts a comforting hand on Cisco's shoulder and the genius steps away from the little boy, utterly defeated.  
"Hey, Wentworth," Caitlin smiles, "Uncle Cisco gave you a pretty neat shirt, didn't he?"  
"Des!" the little boy smiles, hugging the shirt again.  
"Well, I think it would mean a lot to Uncle Cisco if you put it on for him."  
Wentworth frowns, "No tank Oo."  
"Are you going to wear this shirt every day forever?" Caitlin asks, even though it's a ridiculous question for a two year old.

"Des." The answer is more ridiculous than the question.

The two scientific brains of Team Flash try a few more times, but little Wentworth Snart remains firm in his decision to stay in the ugly shirt.  
Lisa excuses herself from the group to complain into her pillow.

 

The next day, Barry is having lunch with Len and Wentworth at the Snart house when the doorbell rings.  
Shrugging, Len goes to the door and finds Mick on the other side.  
"Mick," Len drawls, moving out of the way to let the man in, "What can I do for you?"  
"Lisa called," Mick smirks, stepping in to the house, "Says you guys can't get my gift off the Spit-Fire."  
"We can, but only long enough to bathe him," Len closes the door, "You come to try your hand at it?"  
"Oh, I'm not just gonna TRY," Mick chuckles and Len's brow furrows.  
"Hi, Unc Mik!" Wentworth waves from the table where he's finishing off his food.  
"Hey, pal," Mick winks, "We gotta talk."  
"Tay," Wentworth pushes against the table and hops off his chair to go to his Uncle.  
Mick scoops him up and starts to carry him up the stairs.  
"You need privacy to trick him into giving up that thing?" Len asks, curiosity rising with his voice as it trails after the man.  
"Trust me," Mick says, making it to the top of the stairs.  
The criminal takes Wentworth into the boy's room and closes the door.

"What do you think his chances are?" Barry asks as Len returns to the table.  
"Not sure," Len rests his head on one fist as he thinks, "Still getting used to Mick's soft side myself."

\------[In the room:]------  
Mick puts the little boy in front of him and grins.  
"You did great, buddy."  
"Tank Oo Unc Mik," Wentworth beams.  
"You can take that awful think off now."  
"Tay," Worthy pulls the shirt off and gives it to his Uncle, "All done?"  
"Yeah, all done," Mick stuffs the thing into his pocket, "Now you can wear whatever you want."  
"Yeah!" Worthy rushes over to his dresser and pulls out the shirt from Cisco. He pulls it over his head with a little difficulty but manages before Mick can try to help him.  
Mick grunts, "And they thought my shirt was ugly?"  
\-------[End Scene]------

"Ha!" Mick calls out as they leave the room, "Problem solved."  
Len rushes to the bottom of the stairs and his eyebrows rise comically as he sees his son finally in a new shirt.  
"You got him out of it!" Barry announces, pointing at them from Len's side.  
"Yeah," Mick rolls his eyes, going back down the steps, "I thought that was obvious."  
"How?" Len drawls, arms crossing over his chest.  
"That's my little secret," Mick brushes passed them, "You got anything to eat around here?"  
Mick helps himself to an enormous sandwich while Barry keeps trying to get him to reveal how he managed to get the shirt off of Wentworth.  
"Cut the questions, Red," Mick orders when he sits down at the table, "I ain't telling you anything, so you might as well zip it."  
Barry sighs, slumping in his seat.  
"It appears you have more tricks up your sleeve than just setting things ablaze, Mick," Len comments, eyes searching the man for hidden secrets.  
"I have my uses," Mick smirks, jaw stretching to take another bite of the over-sided sandwich.

Lisa arrives with Cisco in tow at that moment and she shouts out with happiness when she sees Wentworth.  
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" she tells Mick as she sways side to side, hugging her nephew.  
"How-?" Cisco starts to ask, but Barry shakes his head, dissuading his friend from finishing.  
Mick burps, food gone impossibly fast, "Thanks for the grub."  
"Let me know if you have any more problems with the kid," Mick gets out of his seat and makes his way to the door.  
Len stands and follows after him, Barry trailing behind.

"Mick," Len says as the man puts his hand on the doorknob. Mick turns his head but doesn't look back all the way.  
"You're welcome here if you ever need a place to stay," Len tells him, then he smirks, "What are you going to do with the shirt?"  
"Oh," Mick turns a wicked grin to Len, "I'm going to accidentally destroy it maliciously."  
"I second the motion!" Lisa cheers from her place on the couch, Wentworth nestled in her lap.  
"See ya round," Mick keeps grinning as he opens the door and leaves.  
"Wow," Cisco huffs out a laugh, "It took a pyromaniac to get an ugly shirt off a toddler."  
"Even though it was Mick's fault we even had the shirt."  
Cisco gapes as Barry snorts and Lisa's head snaps up in realization.  
"Hey! That's right!"

 

\---

**Author's Note:**

> -/*/ Mick wanted to prove his usefulness to the team and formed a plan. He got Wentworth to wear the ugly shirt and the mini-genius promised not to take it off until Mick came back and asked him to. /*/-
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own the show, or the characters.


End file.
